


Don't You Worry

by sunshineflying



Series: tshaw and evie [2]
Category: BBC Radio 1 RPF, One Direction (Band)
Genre: Kid Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-30
Updated: 2015-08-30
Packaged: 2018-04-18 04:57:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4692896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunshineflying/pseuds/sunshineflying
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to And Something More - I suggest reading that one first.</p><p>Now that they've established themselves in a relationship, Louis and Nick are facing the realities of what that means. On top of sorting out custody of his daughter Evie with Briana, Louis certainly feels under pressure to ensure he's making all the right choices. Nick gets caught in the crossfire.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don't You Worry

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to Jen for being so lovely and taking on this fic to beta and Brit-pick. Any remaining mistakes are my own.
> 
> I also want to thank all the wonderful people I've met online who've enjoyed this verse so far, especially my new Paylinshaw pals. I promise there's more coming!
> 
> Thanks for reading :)

It’s shockingly easy, Nick finds, to fall into a relationship with Louis Tomlinson. Whilst he’s a pain in the arse most of the time, they actually have a pretty good go of it for a while. Louis jests and Nick pokes fun in return, and even though sometimes they push it to the point of being annoying, they reel it back in just in time.

Nick thinks it’s alright, thinks he could do this monogamy thing with Louis because he makes it exciting and fun. It’s never the same day twice when Louis is involved.

Except then Louis and Briana start really talking about custody of Evie because she’s two and doesn’t have a stable home life. She’s in Los Angeles for half a year, then London for half a year, and she’ll need to be starting nursery school soon so they know they ought to sort it out.

Louis has been expecting it for a while, has braced himself for the public finding out and dragging their names through the mud, but it turns out it’s quick and easy. Briana knows her instincts to be a mother aren’t there, and she offers Louis full custody, with arrangements for visitation and some time over the summer. 

It’s so easy, he can hardly believe it’s true.

Louis doesn’t tell Nick much of it, doesn’t need to really, because they’re not that serious yet. Nick sort of knows it’s going on, as Louis has flippantly mentioned it once or twice, but doesn’t hear the outcome or any other details for a while.

When Louis suddenly starts perusing for nannies before the next season of X-Factor, Nick catches on. “She’s all yours now, huh?” he asks one evening.

They’re curled up on the sofa, comfortable in nothing but some trackies and tee shirts. It’s summertime, but they’re comfortable and not feeling to sweaty, even though Louis’s body runs a bit warm. Nick’s nestled close to him on the sofa to gather up some of his heat, but doesn’t complain about the temperature. He’d just had a sweaty, sleeping child on his lap an hour prior, after all.

But Evie’s asleep now, down the hall, and while Nick is comfortable, Louis is tense. “Yeah, didn’t I tell you?” he replies flippantly.

Nick shakes his head and hums softly in affirmation. Being kept out of the loop on something like this isn’t worth the argument, walking that fine line between joking and serious.

Louis takes a deep breath and says, “Briana said she didn’t feel fit to be a mum. Told me I could just have custody and bring Evie out for summer holidays.”

Louis feels tense now, in Nick’s arms, and Nick rubs his thumb soothingly over Louis’s shoulder as he asks, “And what do _you_ think about that?”

Instantly, Louis huffs. It amazes Nick how much Louis can convey without a single word. He’s clearly unhappy about it, and Nick knows it’s not because Evie’s around more. It’s because Briana’s not. Louis made it quite clear to Nick very early on that he and Briana are only friends, even though Nick didn’t question it one bit. But he understands - he knows enough about Louis’s past to know he probably wishes Evie could have both parents around.

Louis won’t tell anyone, but he’d even searched jobs for Briana around London, so she could move for Evie. She said no. He couldn’t find anything he liked enough out in L.A., either, so they were stuck.

It’s rare, moments like these where Louis doesn’t have his guard up and his snarky attitude turned up to eleven, and Nick knows it’s going to be short-lasting. “Well, she’s very lucky to have you,” Nick offers, kissing the top of Louis’s head.

That’s the last they talk about it.

As it turns out, it’s easier for Louis to find a nanny than he thinks it will be, and he’s grateful to have someone around to take care of Evie while they’re filming more episodes of the X-Factor. He’s back for his second season, Nick for his third, and their banter basically _makes_ the show. It’s what hundreds of fans look forward to each week, and Nick really enjoys it, being able to show off his rapport with Louis on national TV.

The best part about the X-Factor is that nobody thinks a single thing of it when the two of them are out to dinner together. Naturally there are shippers everywhere, but there’s been a surprising lack of speculation about a relationship despite them being spotted at the studio together, Nick sipping tea while Louis has a smoke outside, or out to lunch on occasion.

Naturally, they take full advantage of this and decide to plan a date.

A date out in public.

Nick is buzzing all day, feeling strange for being in his flat because he’s so often at Louis’s now. He searches through his closet for something to wear but frowns because his favourite jumper, the one he wanted to wear on their date, is still sitting in the growing pile of laundry to be washed over at Louis’s flat.

He’s ninety-nine percent sure he’s going to be the one to do the washing.

He chooses a patterned shirt instead, something white with black marks on it, with a low cut and a collar that ties loosely at the neck. He’s got on black trousers and his favourite pair of boots, and after an embarrassingly long amount of time in front of the mirror - even by Nick’s standards - he’s ready to go.

And sure, he’s nearly twenty minutes behind and Louis has been sending him urgent text messages to _get downstairs because the car is here_ , but Nick wants to look his best. It’s their first proper date.

He thinks they might even be able to hold hands in public, if Louis wants.

When Nick gets into the car he can feel the nervous energy radiating off of Louis. He’s bouncing his knee and while he looks comfortable in a jumper and the tightest black trousers Nick has ever seen, he’s incredibly tense. His shoulders are pulled taut and his lips are tight. “I’m not _that_ late,” Nick says, though he knows he is.

Louis sighs heavily, a thing he’s taken to doing when he’s annoyed that Nick can’t read his mind. If Nick didn’t find it totally endearing and a little bit childlike, he’d probably hate it. He scoots across the seat and reaches over for Louis’s hand where he’s got it on his bouncing knee. He covers his hand and stills his leg as he says, “I can’t read your mind, love. What’s going on?”

And in the privacy of the car, Louis doesn’t mind letting his guard down and answering normally. He wants to snap - hell, he’d _love_ to snap, but he just doesn’t have the energy for it. “Evie’s with the nanny. Karen. Remember her?” Nick doesn’t, but he nods anyway. “She’s been tetchy for days. I think she misses Briana.”

“It’s too soon to tell, don’t you think?” Nick wonders. “Kids don’t always pick up on that sort of thing.”

“Dunno,” Louis shrugs. “She’s been really busy lately.”

Nick tips his head, like he agrees with the point Louis’s made. “True enough,” he nods. “But Evie’s a kid. She’ll forget.”

“She screamed her head off when I was leaving,” Louis tells Nick as he rests his head on his shoulder. His voice sounds thin, exhausted. He hasn’t sounded that way in weeks. “She’s never done that before. Ever.”

And Nick wants to say _I know it’s hard_ , or _I understand_ , but he doesn’t know that. He’s not an expert on Evie the way Louis is. He has, however, cared for his god children before. “It might not necessarily be that,” he offers. “I’ve seen the godkids do the same when they were dropped off with me, and they were okay. It’s just a phase.”

“I don’t want my daughter to be all fucked in the head because Briana’s changed her mind,” Louis says sadly.

Nick turns his head to kiss the top of Louis’ head. “She won’t be fucked, Louis,” he promises. “She’s got us.”

Louis snorts. “Us? Excuse me?” But he doesn’t deny it, just mocks it. He breathes a beat and then nods. “I know she does.”

Louis doesn’t seem totally satisfied with the conversation, but the car arrives at their restaurant and he doesn’t want to cause a scene in public. He climbs out first, Nick following, and they’re shown to their table as soon as they step inside.

It’s a nice place, with very traditional looking decor and dim lighting complemented by warm wood colours throughout. It’s private, with seat backs that go up past one’s head, and they’re seated in the back at a round table by the window. There’s nothing especially romantic about the place, but it’s a nice restaurant and they’re dressed up for it, so it feels important. It feels special.

However, Nick wishes Louis would _act_ like it’s special. He’s got his eyes darting around and his phone is clearly lying face-up on his thigh. Nick’s gone through all the trouble to shut his phone off - something rarely done by him - and he wants Louis to do the same. “Oi,” he says, hoping that he sounds more teasing than he is. “You going to look at your phone all night, or up at me?”

“Why would I want to look at your ugly mug?” Louis replies.

It’s meant to be a joke, but Louis is still upset from earlier so it comes out harsh and mean. _Oh_ , Nick falters. So that’s how it’s going to be. “Because I’ve got to look at yours,” he shoots back.

He’s putting his napkin on his lap and avoiding looking at Louis because he’s sure his expression will make his chest ache. He didn’t hold back the frustration when he spoke, and he thinks that maybe he should have.

Nick takes the wine menu from the stand by the window and starts to flip through it. “What sort of wine do you want tonight?” he asks.

Louis shrugs. “I’m having a drink. Get whatever you’d like.”

Over the menu, Nick eyes Louis warily. He looks worn, tired, and like he’s ten years older than he actually is. Louis has his eyes trained down on his menu and he’s ignoring Nick’s attention. When the server comes to take their drink order, Nick gets himself a glass of merlot and then nods for Louis to order.

“Whisky sour. On the rocks.”

When the server leaves, Nick looks up and asks, “Planning on getting drunk tonight, are we?”

“Not that it’s any of your business, but no. I just haven’t had a good drink in a while,” Louis replies. “Being a father sort of takes away the privilege of going out every evening for drinks. But I suppose we can’t all be like you, can we Nicholas?”

“Right, I forgot, pity party for the father,” Nick rolls his eyes. “And for the record, I’m at yours drinking juice with your daughter more than I’m ever out getting drinks with others, now.”

Louis scoffs, like he doesn’t believe it for a second. Nick won’t admit it, but it stings. Louis knows full well that Nick’s at his more often than not. It’s infuriating, how awful Louis is being all of a sudden. All he’d tried to do was help, and for what?

They order their entrees when their drinks arrive, and it’s the worst date Nick’s ever been on. He wants to make conversation, and usually he can, but with how hostile Louis is being, he’s not so sure what to bring up. Louis is a ticking time bomb, and with just the right question, Nick can set him off and obliterate everything they’ve built.

He knew it was too easy, getting to the point they were at.

“Is there any particular reason why you’re in such a foul mood?” Nick asks as he spins some fettucini on his fork. “Or is it just my mere presence?”

Nick takes a bite, chews slowly as he watches Louis with his eyebrow raised, waiting for an answer. Louis has gotten a nice cut of roast for his dinner, and he sets down the knife with a loud clang before he looks up and asks, “Why is it you’ve got to be talking all the time?” His voice is short, curt. He’s snappy. “Can’t we have one dinner in peace?”

“Last time I checked, a date was supposed to involve conversation,” Nick retorts. “So what’s with the attitude, Tommo?”

Louis’s eyes darken and he says, “Well maybe I changed my mind and I don’t want this to be a date.”

Nick’s unsure of what’s gotten into Louis, but it’s been a very long time since Louis has been so short with him. It’s one thing to have playful, entertaining banter whilst on TV, and it’s very much another to take shots at someone whenever possible.

“Right, well, since it’s not a date, I’ll just take a cab back to mine when the night’s over then, shall I?” Nick suggests.

“You’ve got to come to mine first,” Louis replies. “Your dirty laundry is all over my flat and I’ve got enough of a mess around without you adding to it.”

Nick swirls more pasta on his fork, but doesn’t bring a bite to his mouth. “I suppose cleaning up after yourself _is_ a full time job, after all.”

Louis looks up, eyes narrowed, and he sets down all his silverware. Angrily, he downs the half-glass that was remaining of his whisky sour and waves his glass so the server knows to get him another. When he faces Nick again, he’s looking frustrated and his eyes are wet. “I hate you so much sometimes,” he says with a heavy glare.

Nick, fed up to the brim with Louis and his temper tantrum, just reaches for his wine and says sweetly, “The feeling’s mutual, love.”

Louis goes through three more whisky sours before the check comes, and Nick’s had what he’s confident has been a full bottle of wine. When the check comes, Nick’s pulling out his wallet because it was his idea to do this, and even though he currently loathes Louis, he wants to do something nice for him.

But Louis is fetching his own wallet as well and holding out a shiny black Visa. “Separate checks,” he tells the server, who’s taken both of their cards.

“What the fuck?” Nick asks.

They’re in public. What if someone had seen? How embarrassing is it, as well, when basically the whole staff has assumed they’re on a date together? Nick’s livid now, and he doesn’t want to have to deal with this. He’d only been trying to do something nice.

“It’s not a date, so you don’t pay for me,” Louis says like it’s the most obvious answer in the world.

Nick’s not so pleased.

“Look, I haven’t a clue what I’ve done to deserve this sort of treatment when all I wanted was a nice date out,” Nick replies angrily. He’s trying so hard to keep his voice down, to keep from causing a scene, but it’s _really_ hard given how Louis is acting. “I thought we were doing okay.”

“I’m not in the mood for this, Grimshaw,” Louis says through gritted teeth. “I have far bigger things to worry about than how you _feel_ about everything.”

“You have far bigger things to worry about than your relationship, as well. Is that it? Have I gotten that part right?” Nick snaps. He’s having trouble biting his words back now. His anger is getting the best of him. “I have given up so much to be with you and Evie.”

Louis scoffs and rolls his eyes. “We don’t need you doing us any favours. We’re not a charity project.”

“No, I didn’t mean --,” Nick tries.

“Save it,” says Louis.

The server comes to return their cards and give them their receipts. Nick feels at a loss. His mouth runs away from him sometimes and it drives him absolutely wild with frustration. After scribbling down a tip and his signature, Nick pockets his card and stands from the table.

“The car’s outside. Come and get your shit out of my place,” Louis says as he walks right past Nick and out the doors.

They sit on opposite sides of the seat on the way back, and it feels like there are literal miles between them. Nick has no idea what he’s done wrong. He’s seen Louis in foul moods before but nothing quite like this has ever happened.

Nick tries to think back over their exchanges and tries to work out where exactly he went wrong. The problem is, though, that he can’t place it. He’s stepped in last minute, ditching plans with his other friends, to watch Evie when the nanny was ill. He’s rocked her to sleep when she was fussy because Louis had an important meeting the next morning and needed his sleep. But he’s never once done something that, as far as he knows, harmed their relationship.

He doesn’t remember ever doing anything to hurt Louis so much that he’d act this way.

When they arrive at Louis’s flat the car takes them through the gates and down the familiar drive. Before they even reach the door Nick can hear Evie crying. His stomach knots and he feels indescribably sad for this little girl who’s trying to figure out where her parents are and what’s going on around her.

Louis is rushing through the door to take Evie from the nanny. He doesn’t even bark instructions at Nick, just turns to the nanny – Karen – and asks her if Evie’s been crying the whole time. Karen says she took a nap for a while, but that only displeases Louis even more.

“You can go,” he tells Karen. As soon as she leaves, he huffs and carries Evie into the kitchen. “Now you’re never going to sleep,” he mutters to Evie.

He starts preparing a cup of milk, warming it in the microwave while he finds a sippy cup to put it in. “And you’re still in your clothes,” Louis complains. “Why has she suddenly become so incompetent? How difficult is it to understand how to get a child ready for bed?”

Evie is still crying, only now she’s looking at Louis strangely. She can pick up on how tense he is, and she knows that something’s wrong.

Nick feels terrible for the both of them. Their fear and anxiety is palpable in the air – something they both clearly feel – and he wants to help. He’s rounded up most of his clothes but he leaves them in a pile in the corner of the room before he walks into the kitchen. Louis reaches into the microwave to grab the mug, but it’s hot and he drops it.

Evie’s screams double as the mug crashes onto the stovetop and shatters, milk flying everywhere. “Oh fucking hell!” Louis shouts.

Now Evie is screaming and Louis is red-faced and he’s trying _so_ hard not to cry that it’s painful to watch. Nick walks in, feet crunching the stray bits of broken glass under his boots. “Give her here, love,” he says softly. Even just calling Louis _love_ could set him off now, but he’s got to do something to help. He’d feel worse not even making an attempt. “I’ll go change her.”

“Now I have this fucking mess to clean up,” he’s muttering. Louis hands Evie over, which Nick thought was going to be the biggest battle of all. But then Louis is bending over and trying to pick up the shattered bits of glass and Nick leans down to stop him.

“Leave it,” he says.

Louis glares up at him, but Nick is insistent. He gently tugs at Louis’s hand, pulling him out of his crouch, and he says, “I’ll get it.” Evie’s still crying but she’s not wailing as she had been before. “You go take a long shower. Get _whatever this is_ out of your system.”

And Louis wants to argue, but Nick’s already rifling around in the refrigerator, carefully sidestepping the glass, in order to get more milk and make up another bottle for Evie. He holds her on one hip as Louis carefully steps to the doorway. Louis turns his back to watch but Nick doesn’t pay him any mind. He’s busy making up a bottle, all whilst Evie is crying right there in his ear.

Once the milk is warming, Nick’s pulling Evie to his chest and humming softly to her and Louis unknowingly blinks a few tears down his cheeks.

He leaves to take a shower, and Nick keeps caring for Evie.

It’s hard, holding Evie on his hip now that she’s two years old and not as willing to cuddle as she used to be. She’s crying weakly into his shoulder now, and once he’s warmed the milk just a little too warm for her mouth, he leaves the measuring cup on the counter to cool whilst he changes her into some pajamas.

Once she’s clad in her purple sleepsuit with her favourite stuffed bear in her tiny arms, she’s quiet. It’s clear that she’s tired, but she’s stubborn like her father. She won’t sleep if Nick just lays her down; he knows she’ll start screaming again. Some nights she can handle that, being laid down and left to her own devices until she dozes off, but tonight he’s dealing with two very stubborn Tomlinsons. He’ll be lucky if he makes it to midnight.

After she’s changed, he grabs for the bottle and hands it to her. They sit on the sofa, Evie curled up against his chest, and he sings softly to her as she drinks and lets her eyes blink heavier and heavier.

By the time Nick’s laying her in bed, he hears the shower switch off. Usually he’d go into Louis’s bedroom now, to go give him a kiss or take advantage of his near-nakedness, but the mood in their relationship has shifted.

Nick’s not even quite sure whether it’s a relationship at all, anymore.

He gathers the broom and mop from the closet and returns to the kitchen. His boots click on the linoleum as he slowly cleans Louis’s mess. The floor is sticky and will need a good scrubbing, but he wants to make sure all the glass is gone, first. He’d hate for Evie to get a cut from his negligence. Nick even goes so far to slide his hands over every surface where glass had fallen, just to make sure he wasn’t missing any pieces somewhere.

Once satisfied, Nick begins mopping the kitchen. It’s not his favourite chore in the world but even through all the shit Louis has given him, Nick still has the irrepressible urge to take care of him.

Louis doesn’t come out after his shower, so Nick assumes it’s his sign to pack up his laundry and go. It causes his frustration to build all over again because he just _doesn’t know what he did_ and Louis is incredibly infuriating sometimes.

Most of the time in fact.

He’s in the hallway when he hears feet padding down the hallway. It’s clear who it is before he even looks up. “I don’t understand,” he says as he continues to sort out their laundry, _his_ laundry, because apparently there isn’t a _their_ anything anymore.

“There are a lot of changes happening in her life right now,” Louis begins. His voice is soft and broken, like he’s too tired for speaking but he’s pressing through anyway, just for Nick.

“Yes, and?”

“And I don’t want her getting confused,” continues Louis. “She needs to learn that I’ll leave, but that I won’t always leave her with you. She needs to learn that _I’m_ her family now.”

Nick stuffs the last of his things – that jumper he so desperately wanted to wear on the hot mess of a date they just had – into the bag before he looks up at Louis, incredulous. “So you’re saying you don’t want her too confused by the change, so your solution is to create even more change?” he tries. “Is that really your plan?”

“You two are _so_ attached right now. She has to learn to be around other people.”

With a roll of his eyes, Nick says, “Yeah. That’s all this is. You looking out for Evie.”

Louis looks absolutely exhausted. The bags under his eyes are dark and heavy, and his face is splotchy like he’s cried through his feelings once already. “Nick --,”

“Just… give me _one_ honest answer tonight, would you?” Nick demands. “Tell me if we’re breaking up. Is this you breaking up with me? Yes or no? Because I don’t know where you’re going with this right now.”

Ashamed, Louis looks down at the floor and stuffs his hands in the pockets of his robe. “I think we should take a break,” is all he says. “We’ve been at this what – six months? It’s been good, but I have to look out for Evie.”

Nick rolls his eyes. “Just because you’re all she has left doesn’t mean you can use her as a scapegoat,” he says as he pulls out his mobile to call a car. “You’re doing this for _yourself_ , and I don’t understand why.”

Louis opens his mouth to speak, his eyes fierce like he’s ready to fight, but Nick cuts him off. “No. Talk to me when you’re not such a wreck. This is bollocks, Louis. You’ve put me through the ringer tonight, I still come by and help you out, and now this?” he says as he tosses his bag over his shoulder. “I don’t understand. I haven’t done anything wrong. But don’t worry, I’ll get out of your hair. Can’t risk confusing Evie and fucking her up now, can I?”

“Jar,” Louis says, pointing to that sodding curse word jar they use around Evie.

Except they didn’t use it all night. Not the two times when Louis cursed about breaking the mug. And they certainly won’t use it now.

“Ha,” Nick replies.

He walks to the door with determination, too angry now to bother being sad. Louis is infuriating beyond belief but the whole evening seems out of the ordinary, even for Louis. “Call me when you’ve sorted yourself out, then,” quips Nick.

And then he’s out the door and Louis crumples in the hallway, knees to his chest. He takes a deep breath and lets out a soft sob into his knees.

Louis is sure that all he and Nick will agree on about that evening is that it was the worst date on record.

He’s a little less sure about whether it’ll get better.


End file.
